Crispy Pork Belly Vermicelli Salad

 

The Crunchy Pork Belly method can be found HERE.

The dressing recipe is here. Just dilute a bit and add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter dressing.

Give Peas A Chance Lao style Papaya Salad (Thum Mak Houng)

 

Updating my Thum Mak Houng post here on Give Peas A Chance since my last one is from I don't know before 2010 I think? Doesn't matter. This is how I personally make my Lao Green Papaya salad, also known as Thum Mak Houng. Thai call this Som Thum and they make theirs sweeter, without the pa deak, and they add peanuts. I prefer the Lao version. 

Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette

It's the warmer weather that's got us eating more salads! I love fresh crisp salads. I don't use a lot of dressing, I used to drench my salads in dressing as a kid. Now I like just a little for flavor. Because I don't use a lot I like the flavors to be bold. This Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette is just that, bold, spicy, and flavorful.
It is whole30 compliant so it has no added sugar, no dairy, no soy, no gluten, no grains. It keeps well in the fridge and if you get the emulsion right it's nice and creamy. If you like a thinner dressing, add a little more vinegar or water.

Sesame Ginger Salad and Kabobs

Whole 30 Sesame Ginger Skewers.

This meal is pretty quick to put together. The marinade doubles as a salad dressing that we just love. Because this is a Whole 30 complaint meal there is no soy, dairy, gluten, grains, or processed sugar. I promise you won't even miss them! My oldest kids and I have this favorite Korean BBQ place that we used to go to before I started Whole 30. They have this salad that is so good, it's light but flavorful. We ask for 3 bowls to share each time we go! Each bowl has a few servings. One day I was making this marinade and my oldest child walked by and goes "Mom, what is that smell! It smells like my favorite salad from the Korean place!" So I asked her to taste it and she said it's even better because the ginger has a kick. The restaurant doesn't use ginger. She asked me to not use all of it for a marinade so she could have it over salad. That is how this Sesame Ginger Salad came about.

BLT Salad With Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette

I love when the weather gets warmer, I tend to crave crisp lettuce greens and fresh vegetables more. I call it salad weather. I'll eat salads in the winter, I just crave them less when it's cold out. This BLT salad is simple and the vinaigrette can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator.  The whole salad is a great for meal prep, keep all the vegetables washed and ready, the bacon can be made ahead of time, the steak is optional but it can also be made ahead.

Fusion Seen Dat (Lao BBQ)

This isn't a true Lao Seen Dat, the marinades and sauces I developed from flavors we enjoy. It's more a fusion I guess. But Seen in Lao is "meat", Dat means to sear. This method is used to cook meats to wrap in lettuce or rice paper wraps. It's so yummy.

Khao Poon Gai

Whole 30 Paleo Compliant Lao Khao Poon

Khao Poon Gai is a Lao curry noodle dish. It's fragrant, spicy, and so satisfying. The creamy coconut milk makes the broth silky smooth, the red curry paste gives it a aromatic kick. Traditionally this is serve with rice vermicelli noodles and there is bamboo in it. I'm doing a Whole 30 this month, and my family doesn't like bamboo, so there you go.  If you prefer rice noodles or veggie noodles I hope you'll try this soup. It's so good.

Lao Khao Poon ingredients.

All The Ranch Dressings

Whole 30 and Paleo compliant Ranch Dressing.

There are so many versions of this Ranch dressing out there that it's hard to pick just one. Here is my version for a basic Ranch that is Whole 30 compliant, and some variations. Avocado, Peppercorn, Spicy Chipotle, and Greek. This is a perfect option for when you want a little more than oil and vinegar, or a wedge of lime or lemon and salt and pepper on your salad. By the way, a wedge of lime squeezed over a salad with salt and pepper is so yum.

Curry Shrimp Lettuce Wraps And Noodle Bowls

Curry Shrimp Lettuce wraps are a favorite around here. It's an easy meal to throw together and is pretty healthy. Lots of colorful veggies, it's a great way to get my kids to eat vegetables. I have posted Curry Shrimp before, made with a curry powder. This is a version made with Thai curry paste, both are flavorful and good. Just use your favorite kind of curry. Make this as spicy or mild as you like. If you don't like shrimp you can cook fish filet with these flavors, or even strips of chicken and use those in a wrap.

Yum Woon Sen- Lao Glass Noodle Salad

This noodle salad is simple and versatile. It's called Yum Woon Sen ("woon" are the noodles, "sen" mean strands) , Yum Woon Goong ("goong" is shrimp). It is made with Glass noodles or Cellophane noodles. You can add any vegetables you like, any cooked protein you like. I used leftover pork loin that I had cooked in my Instant Pot, I just put the pork on the trivet over about a cup of water that had lemon grass, kaffir leaves, garlic, and peppercorns in it. Once cooked, let the meat cool and slice. The shrimp can also be poached in water with similar aromatics.

Greek Inspired Chickpea Salad

This Greek Inspired Chickpea Salad can be served as a side dish, over salad, or as a main dish with some pita bread. It's so easy to make kids who are good with a knife can prepare it on their own. If I use Feta cheese I usually add that a little before serving. I just prefer it that way.

Shrimp Fajita Salad

Give Peas A Chance Shrimp Fajita Salad

It's been beautiful lately, the Cherry Blossoms have peaked. People are in shorts. I am excited for spring! I wish it would stick around longer. Shorter summers would suit me well, with longer fall and spring seasons. I know there is still snow in some areas of the US and the world. We've had light dusting that melt away by the afternoon. As much as I love snow, one or two good storms a year suit me fine. I don't need it months on end.

Pumpkin Spice Glazed Pumpkin Seeds

These Pumpkin Spice Glazed Pumpkin seeds are crunchy and spicy. Use these to top salads, yogurt, soups, hot or cold cereal, stir them into granola, or use them for a special treat. They are like candy. Put them over the scones I just posted last week/
Simple to make you can swap out the seeds for walnuts, pecans, cashews. Whatever you like.

I sprinkled them on Pumpkin Spiced Caramel Rolls.

Greek Salad Dressing

This Greek salad dressing can be made vegan or paleo.

This Greek Salad dressing. I can drink this dressing up. It's very simple to make, the kids can do this one on their own, just some supervision with the blender! It's tangy, flavorful, and easy to make with ingredients you have on hand. To make this a vegan dressing use sugar instead of honey.
I serve this drizzled on a salad with Greek Chicken. I forgot the goat cheese in this picture! Feta would be awesome also.
You can also use it to marinate chicken.

Best Caprese Salad

It's almost over. Summer I mean. Summer foods. Summer days. Summer fun. Summer with no real schedule. I love Fall and all that it brings with it. The bounty, the weather, the gorgeous colors. But I will miss Summer and all it's blessings also. The precious time with my children. Carefree days, long

2015 Lunches 33-36

I'm so behind, I found pictures of lunches I packed last school year in a not blogged yet folder. Oops.

2015 lunches 9-11

 Yesterday's lunches in our Planetbox containers (link buy their site is at the bottom of this post). Like I said were on a Sunbutter kick.

Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches

Cucumbers with dressing

Kiwi

Pumpkin bread

the far right lunch brings to my oldest who wanted Ramen in a Thermos.

How's lunch packing going for everyone?

Below are pictures of dinner last night.

Caprese sandwiches

Corn on the cob

Veggies hummus

Fruit

 Find my version of the Best Caprese salad here.

Most lunches on Give Peas A Chance are packed in Planetboxes

and Yumboxes, found HERE.

CUPPOW info found HERE.

I want to invite you all to share your lunches on my Facebook wall, Instagram (see hashtags below), Twitter, and in comments below.

Share your latest lunches- if you have a photo to upload, an Instagram post, a blog post. 

HASHTAGS- for Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest #peasblog #TakeitTuesday

Or come and share you favorite lunch box recipe.

Please make sure you link to all recipes and credit sources. I will delete any recipes that have been cut and pasted. Please leave links only.

Also I would love if you used my affiliate links for purchases on these sites. It doesn't cost you extra, doesn't change your price, but it does help me out.

Here are some of my links 

LINK for Pick Your Plum ( http://tracking.pickyourplum.com/SH58 )

LINK for YUMBOX (http://www.yumboxlunch.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=11 )

LINK for Zulily ( http://www.zulily.com/invite/kd489)

LINK for Planetbox ( http://planetbox.com/#oid=1017_1 )

Manic Monday Meals

It's a Manic Monday post!! I thought I'd share some recent dinners we've had (and by recent I mean "I'm so behind but it's been about this past year"). I tried to link each picture to a recipe, hope I didn't miss any!

Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

An oldie but goodie. Not the picture, but Vermicelli Noodle Bowls. I put either these or Spring Rolls on our menu at least once every two weeks. They are just so easy and everyone here enjoys it! Win win here at the Give Peas A Chance household!

Find the recipe and more below-

Make them grain/noodle free by using a spiral slicer like this one that we love for vegetable noodles.

Here are links related to these great noodle bowls, recipes, and Spring Rolls also

Related posts-

Vermicelli Salad

Spring Rolls  
Spring Rolls Manic Monday

Vietnamese Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls

Nam Pla Dressing

Vermicelli Salad Bentos/Lunches

More Lunches

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ahem. *taps the mic timidly* Testing. Testing. 1-2-3... anyone still here? It seems as if I've taken a long break without meaning to. If you're still here, or stumbled upon this quite blog, welcome! Today happens to be Manic Monday, which really helps me ease back into blogging! Manic Monday is when I post family favorites that I've blogged before. Sometimes with updated pictures and recipes.

As per my last post, it's SUMMER here. That means soaking up family time. We are enjoying every singe minute of each other. I hope that you are able to enjoy some time with loved ones also this summer. I do apologize for not being around, I have missed blogging and all the wonderful interaction with everyone. Facebook being as it is, it's hard for anyone to see my posts. It's a little discouraging. You can however find me on Facebook, and Instagram for the most part. All social media links are on the right side of this blog.

I do want to continue posting here on Give Peas A Chance regularly again. I also have some great giveaways coming up and I hope you'll stick around for them and enter for some fabulous prizes!

Today I'd like to share a recipe from May 2008, for Strawberry Spinach Salad. What says summer better than fresh picked berries? This salad is wonderful with other berries also, and even pineapple. We have a nut allergy in the house, all nuts except almonds. So I did make this salad with almonds, you can use oat clusters also. I do hope you'll try this salad, and thanks for reading :) Follow the link to find the original post with recipe.
Have a wonderful week.

Thanks for reading Give Peas A Chance!

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